Interview with RaginBanana From D5

Hi, please introduce yourself for those who many not know who you are?

Hi, my name is RaginBanana, and I’m honored to call myself Dropship 5’s team captain.

What was your first exposure to the competitive gaming scene?

My first exposure to the competitive (By competitive I presume you mean try harding as opposed to like, getting paid to play these games) gaming scene was actually back in Warcraft 3 Frozen throne. I adored the game and ended spending a lot of time playing it. Did a stint through WoW (pvp and pve), League of Legends, etc. . . 10 years later here we are.

Introduce your team briefly?

Dropship 5 is a group of the tight friends that happen to play the same game, and are apparently good at it. We came from nothing, and I think knowing that keeps us humble.

What were your teams goals this season?

Our goals for this season where to really iron out the roster issues we’ve always had, pick up more talent, and gear for another MWOWC season. It was really bittersweet to make it so close but not make it to regionals last year.

What has been the most challenging part this season?

I would have to say that we where the most annoyed /challenged by the changes that the skill tree provoked. We had a match the day after it hit, so we went on a 48 hour bender to try and figure out how the skill tree affected the meta. In the end pilots where having issues skilling mechs because of glitches, so we ended up rescheduling the match.

What about the most rewarding?

The most rewarding thing for me this season was watching C H A R L E M A G N E and Saruman of Many Colors turn into a pair of terrifying land piranhas.

How do you prepare to win your drops each week?

Preparing for our drops starts with snapstyle, He does the hoodoo magic that results in the backbones of our strats. Then normally he bounces ideas off me and brings me up to speed. After that, our normal rotation of two scrims and two to three internals a week help.

How does your team take a loss, what do you take out of it?

When we take a loss, we take it as a team. We sit down, and break down the match, or the game or whatever it is, often for hours at a time. It's actually can become a problem in of itself, as to many people start volunteering reasons we lost, blaming themselves. A core tenant of the unit when we founded it was that we win and lose together.

What strengths do you feel the players bring to team cohesion as a whole? Any particular personality traits or quirks that have caught your eye?

Passion and Loyalty. I would say that they both run very strong on this team.

Going forward towards future tournaments, and eventually the WC, what plans do you have to help your players continue to grow and remain sharp?

Nose to the grindstone my friend. The only reason we are where we are is because we spent so much time to get here. We can't let it lapse now.

How is it that you present criticism in a way that is accepted and not seen as inflammatory or offensive?

Critique is a massively important part of any improvement process, and I try to never let my passion cloud my analytical judgement. Take a deep breath, take step back, and talk to the pilot, don't yell at the mistake they made.

How are you finding the skill tree, has it changed the way you’re playing or the mechs you bring?

The skill tree is just another meta shift. Follow the math to victory.

As a competitive player, what are some changes you would like to see made to competitions to improve competitive play?

I wouldn’t mid seeing MRBC experiment with vastly different rulesets.

What tips do you have for aspiring competitive players?

You are only as “incapable” as you let yourself be.

Finally, do you feel that you and this roster can win MWO WC 17 ?

Yes I do. After all, we have the power of heart!

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